Article on Susan Blader appears in Dartmouth Alumni Magazine
The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine November – December 2025 issue features an article "The Legacy of Chinese Language Professor Susan Blader" including memories of Susan Blader, written by one of her former students, David Downie '88. From language drills to "Noodle Hour," she guided her students into a world that many made their own.
The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine March-April 2026 issue in the "Letters" column included these two notes sent in by alumni in reaction to the tribute to Susan Blader:
An Unforgettable Influence
David Downie’s tribute to the late professor Susan Blader struck home. I recently received the 120-plus pages of rice paper letters that I had mailed home in 1986, during my Beijing summer with “Bai Laoshi.” Oh, the adventures she encouraged us to take! Oh, the opportunities she provided us! A good reminder that for many of us, it was the professors of Dartmouth that distinguished our college experiences from those of peers at other universities. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
MARY M. FINEGAN ’86
Sacramento, California
Bai Laoshi filled my belly and heart with warmth and love that nourished me throughout my undergraduate years at Dartmouth and beyond. As a professor at Geisel Medical School and an adjunct professor in biology, I try to support my students with the same compassion and kindness that she gifted to me and my classmates.
DIANE GILBERT-DIAMOND ’98
Hanover
